Francois Hollande supports Ankara’s initiative to form a buffer zone between Syria and Turkey, and also to use military force not only to eliminate the Islamic State threat but to topple the Assad regime in Damascus, states Global News Intelligence.

The French president insisted on the necessity of avoiding the slaughter of civilian populations in northern Syria. He fully backed the idea of president Erdogan. The two leaders share the same opinions regarding the need to help moderate rebels in Syria to fight against Islamic State and the Assad regime, a press release from the president’s office states.

The statement was issued a short time after Erdogan and Hollande had a phone conversation.